Get ready for Bend Ale Trail Month 2017!

October 12, 2017

While beer fans can tackle the legendary Bend Ale Trail any month of the year, there’s something extra special about doing it in November.

The brand new Bend Ale Trail Month trophy for 2017.

Make that several somethings. November is Bend Ale Trail Month, and 2017 marks the fourth time we’ve enjoyed this month-long celebration of Bend’s craft beer scene.

What’s all the fuss about? Read on to learn what’s awesome about planning your Bend beerventure in November 2017.

What’s this about a trophy?

You can hit the Bend Ale Trail all year long and earn prizes for gathering passport stamps at the breweries. December through October, you earn a Silipint pint glass for racking up 10 passport stamps, and an additional bottle opener for hitting all 16.

But in November, that all changes. Yeah, you still get the Silipint and the bottle opener for accomplishing the aforementioned feat, but guess what else you get?

A freakin’ trophy, that’s what!

To earn it, just bring your completed Bend Ale Trail passport to the Bend Visitor Center on the corner of Lava Ave. and Oregon Ave. between November 1 and November 30. Ten passport stamps get you the trophy AND the Silipint, or hit all 16 to earn the bottle opener, too.

Oh, and just because you have a trophy from a previous season doesn’t mean you don’t want this one. We’ve released a brand new (and in my opinion, even cooler) trophy this year, so it’s a great chance to add to your collection.

Can I score more free stuff?

While the trophies are clearly the top prize during Bend Ale Trail Month, there’s plenty more schwag to go around in November.

There’s plenty more schwag you can win for taking part in Bend Ale Trail Month.

The breweries are extra generous with prizes for Bend Ale Trail month, filling our conference room with all manner of goodies for us to give away. Hats, shirts, stickers, gift cards, Hydro Flasks, Silipints, and so much more can be yours with just a few taps of your phone screen.

Just snap a pic of your beerventure and share it on Instagram using the hashtag #bendaletrailmonth. We’ll randomly select winners to receive schwag throughout the month. Easy peasy!

What else can I win?

What, the trophy and the schwag aren’t enough for you?

Okay, how about a free Bend vacation!

Bring your stamped passport to the Bend Visitor Center and fill out a quick survey for a shot at winning a Bend vacation.

Everyone who brings a completed Bend Ale Trail atlas to the Bend Visitor Center and completes a quick survey (you’ve gotta do both!) will be entered to win a Bend beercation that includes two nights of lodging at Wall Street Suites, gift certificates for two awesome adventures with Wanderlust Tours, and a Brew it Yourself beermaking session at Immersion Brewing.

Er, what if I can’t drink all that beer?

If you want to spend your Bend Ale Trail adventure sipping your way through creamy porters and hoppy IPAs, rock on with your bad self.

You don’t have to drink a drop to complete the Bend Ale Trail, and many breweries (like Deschutes!) have tasty non-alcoholic options for those choosing to abstain.

But you’re not required to drink a single drop of beer. You do have to show up in person at each brewery to get your passport stamped, of course. But eating, drinking, or buying anything at all is optional. This is good news for teetotalers and designated drivers.

And while kids under 21 aren’t allowed to participate in the Bend Ale Trail program, they’ll find plenty of non-alcoholic selections along the trail. My personal fave: The root beer and ginger beer brewed up fresh at Deschutes Brewery.

If you’re a fan of adult beverages but just not beer, flip your Bend Ale Trail atlas to the Drinkable Diversions page. That’s where you’ll find a roundup of awesome distilleries, cideries, wineries, and kombucha brewers who’d be happy to hook you up with locally-made craft beverages of a different sort.

What else do I need to know?

If you do plan to swill beer during your Bend Ale Trail journey, it’s important to be smart about consumption. A few quick tips:

Tote your Hydroflask along to make sure you stay well-hydrated on your beerventure.

Eat a hearty meal before you set out, and plan to nosh at a couple breweries along the way.

Take frequent water breaks. Tote your own Hydro Flask, or ask your server to set you up with a big glass of ice water.

Opt for smaller schooners instead of full pints of beer, or stick with samples.

Share a taster tray with a pack of friends so everyone can try a wide variety of beer without overindulging.

Don’t try to hit all the breweries in one weekend. Take it nice and slow!

Make a plan before you set out, including how many breweries you plan to hit and how you’ll get safely back to your Bend hotel or vacation rental.

And speaking of being responsible…

Don’t even think of drinking and driving. Seriously.

There are gazillion ways to travel between breweries without risking a DUI or someone’s life. Here are just a few of them:

Download the app for Uber or Lyft and hitch a ride with one of countless local drivers now serving these rideshare programs.

Let the Bend Brew Bus be your designated driver.

I’m kinda worried about those beer calories…

Planning to visit Bend for Bend Ale Trail month, but fretting about your belt getting too tight? Never fear! Sign up for the Bend Ale Run on November 11 and fit in a little cardio with your fellow beer-lovers.

There’s a half-marathon and a 10k, plus an option to pedal the course for cyclists. You can even opt to walk it with a generous 5-hour time slot for completion.

Is there an app for that?

Not in the mood to pack the Bend Ale Trail atlas with you everywhere you go? No problem!

Save trees and keep everything tucked neatly in your pocket when you check in at all your stops using the handy Bend Ale Trail app.

It’s free to download for iPhone and Android devices, and you can gather virtual stamps right there in the app (not to mention plotting your route, reading up on each brewery, and finding a place to stay). Download the app here.

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The Bend City Council created, empowered, and funded Visit Bend to develop and build Bend's tourism industry. Visit Bend is an economic development organization whose primary function is to create an effective mix of marketing, sales, and service programs designed to produce a positive economic impact of visitor and convention spending in Bend.